Garment-stretcher.



Patented lunelz, 1900.

c; TAYLOR. GARMENT STRETCHER.

(Application filed June 9, 1899.)

(No Model.)

ma Ncnnfs krans co., Pnomurno., wAsHlNcTou. o. c.

ENCE.

PATENT GEORGIANNA TAYLOR, OF CALAIS, MAINE.

GARMENTQSTRETCHER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 651,450, dated June 12, 1900. Application filed June 9,1899. Serial No. 719,931. (No model.)

To all whom z5 may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGIANNA TAY- LOR, acitizen of the United States, residing at Calais, in the county of Washington and State of Maine, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Veil-Stretching Devices, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference bein g had to the accompanying drawings, forminga part of this specification, in explaining its nature.

Veiling and similar material used for veils and like purposes is of such a delicate fabric that in use it very soon becomes elongated and drawn or brought together, so as to be more or less crumpled, and in this condition is not suitable or at any rate agreeable to the wearer and is then discarded. This often happens before the veil is in any respect worn, and my invention relates to means whereby the veil may be restored to its original condition by stretching it in a direction opposite that in which it has been previously drawn or has produced the crumpled effect. To do this properly requires that the veil shall be subjected to a continuous tension for a considerable period of time, and the action of this is to draw the weaving of the veiling back into its original form, and thus produce a fabric which has all the characteristics of the original unused veil. To properly stretch a veil, therefore, requires a device or clamp for holding it by the edges which are opposed to each other and a means for exerting a constant strain or tension upon the portions between the edges.

I have represented as one means for carrying my invention into effect a device which includes a clamp fastened to one end of a support and adapted to hold both ends of the veil and a stretching-loop holder or knob secured to the said support in a manner to cause it when it engages the veil to draw thereon and away from the clamp.

Referring to the drawings, Figure l is a view in plan of my improved device. Fig. 2 isa view in vertical central section thereof.

In the drawings, A represents a support. To one end of this support there is secured the clamp B. This preferably consists of a fixed jaw h of considerable width and admovable jaw la', pivoted or attached to the fixed jaw to be movable with relation thereto. It preferably is closed'and held'closed by a spring b2,-

which may also be its pivot, and is opened by its extension bg, which forms a handle. The stretching-knob C is represented as mounted upon a slide c, which is movable upon the support A. This slide is forced awayfrom thc clamp or holding jaws by a spring c, as represented in Fig. 2, or by means of a weight. For a compact construction to be held in a trunk or bureau-drawer I prefer the spring construction, as a weight requires that the stretcher be suspended.

In use both ends of the veil are placed between the jaws of the clamp and the jaws closed upon them. This forms the veil into the shape of a loop. The knob is then moved toward the clamp sufciently to engage the loop at the middle of the length of the veil between the clamps and is then permitted to be moved away Lfrom the clamp by the spring or weight, thereby exerting a gentle, even, and continuous draft upon the veil, which gradually draws it back into its original shape.

While I prefer the construction employing the single clamp and the knob and one in which the clamp is fixed and the knob is movable, I would say that the knob and the clamp may both be made movable upon their support away from each other, or the knob may be iixed and the clamp be movable away from it. I am aware that two clamps separated by means of toggles or springs, or both, have been used for the purpose of stretching trousers. My invention, however, differs from such a stretcher in that my stretcher contains a clamp adapted to receive and hold the two ends of a veil, and thus form a loop which lies around a knob attached to the other member of my stretching device, so that a compact and simple structure is made which takes up but little room and is easily used and may be used for more than one veil ata time.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United Statesv As a new article of manufacture, a veilstretcher comprised of the following parts, namely: a support carrying at one end a IOO spring-clamp adapted to receive and hold the as the spring-clamp, said post being adapted two ends of a veil, said support having a slide to receive the loop of said Veil, as and for the located at its farther end and yielding means, purposes set forth.

whereby said slide is held away from the far- GEORGIANNA TAYLOR. 5 ther end of said support, said slide carrying a In presence 0fpost projecting from said slide at right angles L. C. AZHRAEL,

thereto and upon the same side of the device CHAS. RUTHERFORD. 

